In the world of Magic The Gathering, understanding how targeting and combat mechanics work can often be the key to mastering strategy. One question that frequently arises among players, especially those who use Brash Taunter, is whether this unique creature can target planeswalkers with its abilities. Since planeswalkers are a major threat on the battlefield, knowing how and when Brash Taunter interacts with them is vital for competitive and casual players alike. To answer this, it’s important to understand how the card’s ability functions and how the rules of Magic define what targeting truly means.
Understanding What Brash Taunter Does
Brash Taunter is a red creature card first introduced in Core Set 2021. It is a Goblin that costs five mana (four colorless and one red) and has the following abilities
- It is indestructible, meaning it cannot be destroyed by effects that would normally send it to the graveyard.
- Whenever Brash Taunter is dealt damage, it deals that much damage to target opponent.
- It also has an activated ability {2}{R}, {T} Brash Taunter fights another target creature.
Because of these abilities, Brash Taunter is both a defensive wall and an offensive weapon. It can take hits that would destroy most creatures and reflect that damage back at your opponents. However, the key question is whether its abilities can interact directly with planeswalkers, which are a different type of permanent altogether.
How Targeting Works in Magic The Gathering
In Magic, the concept of targeting is strictly defined. A spell or ability targets only if it explicitly uses the word target in its text. For example, target opponent or target creature are specific designations. This means that an ability that deals damage to a target opponent cannot be redirected to something else unless the game’s rules specifically allow it.
Planeswalkers are a separate card type that represent powerful allies. Normally, you attack them directly in combat or deal damage to them through spells that say any target. However, not all abilities or spells that deal damage can affect planeswalkers automatically. Before 2018, damage that would be dealt to an opponent could be redirected to one of their planeswalkers. But this rule was changed, so that now only abilities or spells that explicitly say any target (which includes creatures, players, and planeswalkers) can directly deal damage to a planeswalker.
Can Brash Taunter Target Planeswalkers?
To answer the main question-no, Brash Taunter cannot directly target planeswalkers with its triggered ability. The reason lies in the card’s wording. When Brash Taunter takes damage, its ability says it deals that much damage to target opponent. The keyword opponent here is very specific. It means that the damage must be dealt to an opposing player, not a creature, not a planeswalker, and not a teammate.
Since planeswalkers are no longer considered valid redirection targets under current rules, Brash Taunter’s triggered ability cannot damage a planeswalker directly. The only valid target for that part of its ability is an opponent. This makes sense in terms of game balance-otherwise, Brash Taunter would be even more powerful, as it could chip away at planeswalkers while absorbing damage itself.
What About the Fight Ability?
Brash Taunter also has a secondary activated ability that lets it fight another target creature. The text says {2}{R}, {T} Brash Taunter fights another target creature. Fighting means that each creature deals damage equal to its power to the other. This ability can only target creatures, not players or planeswalkers. Since planeswalkers are not creatures, Brash Taunter cannot fight them either. The game rules make it very clear that fighting is an interaction limited to creatures.
Indirect Ways Brash Taunter Can Affect Planeswalkers
Although Brash Taunter cannot directly target or damage planeswalkers, there are still indirect strategies that can allow it to help deal with them
- Combat pressureBy reflecting damage to opponents, Brash Taunter can help reduce their life total, forcing them to divert attacks to defend their planeswalkers instead of pushing offense.
- Synergistic effectsIf combined with cards that deal damage to any target, the player can redirect damage toward planeswalkers through other means.
- Mass damage spellsCards like Blasphemous Act can deal massive amounts of damage to all creatures, triggering Brash Taunter’s reflective ability multiple times. While this doesn’t hit planeswalkers directly, it weakens the opposing side overall.
These strategies make Brash Taunter an excellent part of a control or damage-reflecting deck. Its durability and synergy with damage-based spells allow it to manipulate combat outcomes even if it can’t directly burn down a planeswalker.
Rule Changes That Affect Targeting
Before the 2018 update, Magic’s rules allowed players to redirect noncombat damage that would be dealt to an opponent to one of their planeswalkers. This meant that older cards that said target opponent could, in effect, damage planeswalkers as well. However, this redirection rule was removed to simplify gameplay. Now, only cards that use the phrase any target can interact with planeswalkers directly. Because Brash Taunter says target opponent, it falls under the older style of targeting and thus cannot use this rule anymore.
This change was significant for many cards, not just Brash Taunter. It clarified the difference between damage to a player and damage to a planeswalker, making the game more intuitive for newcomers while preserving balance. For players familiar with the old rules, it’s easy to see why confusion around this interaction still arises today.
Strategic Value of Brash Taunter
Even without being able to target planeswalkers, Brash Taunter remains one of the most versatile red creatures available. It offers excellent defense, reflecting any damage it receives back at an opponent, and it can be used in combo decks that exploit massive damage spells. Cards like Star of Extinction, Blasphemous Act, or Chain Reaction can create devastating board wipes while turning Brash Taunter into a weapon of destruction.
In multiplayer games, its ability to target a specific opponent also allows for political maneuvering. Players can choose who to damage based on the current threat level or alliances, which adds depth to its use in Commander formats. While it can’t target planeswalkers directly, its mere presence on the battlefield often forces opponents to rethink their strategies.
So, can Brash Taunter target planeswalkers? The short and definitive answer is no. Its abilities are limited to targeting opponents and creatures, not planeswalkers. The 2018 rules update that removed damage redirection means that even indirect targeting is no longer possible. However, this doesn’t diminish Brash Taunter’s power or usefulness in battle. Its combination of indestructibility, damage reflection, and fighting capability make it one of the most entertaining and strategic cards in red’s arsenal. For players looking to build around clever damage manipulation and battlefield control, Brash Taunter continues to prove that brute strength and cunning tactics can coexist perfectly-even if it can’t take down planeswalkers directly.